1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable rigging for horse saddles and, more particularly, to a saddle rigging which permits the front and rear cinchas to be connected to the saddle in multiple different positions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A saddle is a piece of equipment that allows man to use a horse more efficiently. Through the years many changes have occurred, both in the breeding of high class horses and in the saddle industry. The breeding of horses has changed their entire structure in the last 30 years. No longer do we ride razor back mustangs or indian ponies. We presently ride many varieties of well-bred horses, thoroughbred, standard bred, quarter horses and many others. All of these animals have the right to be treated humanely and fitted as correctly as possible with gear so that they can work more efficiently without pain or discomfort.
Unfortunately, western saddles have not kept up with the evolution of horses. In fact, such saddles have not changed significantly in the last hundred years. They may have changed in looks, but not in their adaptability to provide comfort to a horse.
The skirt is the last part of the saddle that comes into contact with the horse's back, except for the saddle pad. Next is the rigging which attaches to the ends of the cinchas and places the cinchas in different positions. Because of the differences in structures of different horses, a saddle is typically made with a particular horse in mind and the rigging positioned in the skirt to properly locate the cinchas. Unfortunately, when a saddle is bought for one horse and then the rider wants to use it for another, the second horse is forced to accept cincha positions which may not be suitable for it.
Very often, saddles are not even designed with a particular horse in mind. Many riders use their saddles on many different horses, such as when they are training horses or switching from one horse to another. An average position is selected for the rigging hardware and each horse must tolerate the fact that the desired position of the cincha is probably different than the actual position thereof.
One prior art attempt to solve this problem is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 2,464,881, which provides a reversible rigging ring which may be applied to and detached from a saddle in either of two positions. While such a construction is an improvement, the rigging ring of this patent is connected to the saddle in an unconventional manner, preventing its application to existing saddle designs, and the positions thereof are limited by its very nature to only two positions.